This disclosure relates generally to machines for preparing shaved ice or snow cone confectioneries, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to a shaved ice or snow cone shaping device and an attachment mechanism for use with machines that prepare shaved ice or snow cone confectionaries.
A variety of machines have been developed, described and are widely known for creating or processing cold deserts and confectioneries by processing ice into more appealing eatable forms, such as snow cones and shaved ice. Such devices produce either ice granules (snow cones) or light, fluffy, finely textured shaved ice for subsequent flavoring using syrups.
Despite the advantages of shaved ice or snow cone machines that are available in the marketplace, improvements are still being sought. Machines in the marketplace may have a spout assembly comprising a channel that leads to a spout for expelling shaved ice or snow cone from the machine to a cup or other container for consumption by a user. Such spout assemblies, or spouts that expel shaved ice or snow cone, are often made from a hard plastic or other rigid material, such that adaptation to different shapes and sizes of cups is often difficult. For example, different cup styles and types, each having their own benefit to a consumer, are becoming increasingly popular. To effectively fill these different cup sizes and styles with shaved ice a different size spout may often be required to increase the efficiency (e.g., speed) of filling a cup with shaved ice or ice granules (snow cones).
In addition, because shaved ice or snow cone machines have an associated cost for each unit it is often expensive to provide multiple machines at one location. Even if multiple machines are financially feasible, changing from one machine to another tends to cause slowness to the overall shaved ice or snow cone operation, which may be disadvantageous in industries (such as shaved ice) where speed is required to keep a consumer line moving. For example, moving between machines or changing out machines may require large amounts of human capital to operate, thereby reducing the efficiency of a business.
In some instances an operator may use a sanitary glove to shape a shaved ice or snow cone product. The operator may be required to remove or change the sanitary glove after handling money or otherwise exposing the glove to an unsanitary surface. That glove change or removal process may slow down the efficiency of the business.
In various industries, for example a shaved ice or snow cone business or any other business in the concessions industry, it is important for the success of that business to move customers through a waiting line as quickly as possible to finalize the sale of a confectionary product to customers. In the example of a shaved ice or snow cone business, the ability to quickly modify the spout to fill different sizes and types of cups on the fly at the job site is imperative to the success of a shaved ice or snow cone concession stand, especially in locations where time is of the essence, for example at a halftime break at a sporting event or other intermission. Otherwise, when moving between machines or modifying the spout of the machine consumes too much time the business will lose out on the opportunity to make a sale. This is because the break or intermission is either over or the customers are tired of waiting in long lines and will seek other concessions.
As disclosed herein below, the disclosure provides an apparatus, system and method for attaching a device or an assembly to a spout or other part of the shaved ice or snow cone machine in an efficient, effective and elegant manner.
What is needed is an apparatus, system and methods that are efficient at being attached and detached to a spout or other part of the shaved ice or snow cone machine in an efficient, effective and elegant manner that will allow a user to fill various size and shapes of cups or containers. As will be seen, the disclosure provides such an apparatus, system and method.
The features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base, or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.